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Competition and free market economies benefit the CONSUMER.
No one person controls the price of anything.
So, for example, government starts giving out student loans to help students. Now, students have more money to go to college if they are willing to hock themselves in debt. The result in the US, massive inflation in education costs.
Suitably regulated markets are among the tools we have to achieve our aims as a society. The stock and financial markets rely on brutal regulation to function at all: look what happens when the regulations are enforced badly or not adapted to the changing market.
I dont agree that energy, railroad and healthcare are good areas for government intervention. These are business areas and bureaucrats are incapable of regulating industries properly. If they were, they would be in the private sector. Our medical industry is heavily regulated, especially with prices. This causes massive distortions in prices. So, a doctor I know gets paid $75 for a spinal tap. My father in law goes into the hospital for observation only for ten days and the insurance company pays $65,000.00 (no tests, no operations).
As to education, I dont have a problem with a public role. It's just that private schools are better. The curriculum is more reading and writing oriented toward a British style system.
As to the higher education costs, do a lot more people have access to higher education now thanks to student loans? No, because the price of one year at college went up to $45K a year. Student loans do not come close to that level.
As to stock markets, I think they are casinos. I do not think buying stock is "investing", it is gambling.
Being a free marketer doesnt mean your against regulation or laws. It depends on the regulation and what is trying to be accomplished. Unfortunately, much government regulation ignores human nature resulting in unintended consequences. Terry
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